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ARB Newsclips for September 9, 2013.
This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
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individual websites to view some of the following news articles.
CAP AND TRADE
Australia's new gov't vows to scrap carbon tax. Australia's new
government prepared to take control of the nation Sunday, with
Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott vowing to immediately scrap a
hated tax on carbon polluters and implement a controversial plan
to stop asylum seekers from reaching the nation's shores. Abbott
met with bureaucrats to go over his border security plans and
said his first priority would be to repeal the deeply unpopular
carbon tax on Australia's biggest industrial polluters. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AUSTRALIA_ELECTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Northeast Carbon Auction Raises $102.5m. Nine Northeastern and
mid-Atlantic US states raised $102.5 million selling carbon
dioxide allowances in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s
(RGGI) auction last week. RGGI, the nonprofit that administers
the regional carbon auction, says all of the available greenhouse
gas emissions permits sold out at the Sept. 4 event — it sold
38.4 million allowances for $2.67. Each permit gives a company
the right to emit 1 ton of CO2. Posted.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/09/09/northeast-carbon-auction-raises-102-5m/
AGRION to Take a Deeper Look at California’s Cap-And-Trade
Program This Week in San Francisco with BP America, CA’s
Legislative Analyst Office, Morrison Foerster & More.
California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) is becoming increasingly
optimistic for the future of its cap-and-trade program after the
results of its August 16th auction of carbon pollution permits.
The cap-and-trade program is an aggressive statewide plan to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions to their 1990 levels…Posted.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/9/prweb11102094.htm
AIR POLLUTION
Critics say fines show Shell not ready for Arctic. Critics of
offshore Arctic drilling say $1.1 million in fines levied against
Royal Dutch Shell for air pollution violations show that the
petroleum giant is not ready to safely drill off Alaska's
northern coast. A Shell spokesman says the fines are part of
learning how to operate complex equipment in a harsh environment.
Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SHELL_ARCTIC_AIR_VIOLATIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/06/5713282/critics-say-fines-show-shell-not.html
Canada to Work With U.S. to Cut Carbon Emissions, Minister Says.
Canada wants to work with the U.S. to cut greenhouse-gas
emissions from the oilsands in Alberta, Natural Resources
Minister Joe Oliver said today. Oliver, who met with U.S. Energy
Secretary Ernest Moniz in Washington, said his nation has already
agreed to curb emissions, in line with the pledges made by the
U.S., and he outlined the actions the country has taken to reduce
reliance on coal. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-09/canada-to-work-with-u-s-to-cut-carbon-emissions-minister-says.html
Carbon Fix Returns to EU Agenda as Presidency to Seek Mandate.
European Union governments will discuss an emergency measure to
help boost carbon prices this week as Lithuania seeks to advance
talks on the draft plan, according to two EU officials with
knowledge of the matter. Lithuania, which holds the EU rotating
presidency, plans to push for a mandate to start talks on the
proposal…Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-09/carbon-fix-returns-to-eu-agenda-as-presidency-to-seek-mandate.html
Researchers: Clean Air Act is helping forests. A team of
university scientists has found that federal clean-air laws have
helped forests recover from pollution. Kansas State University
associate biology professor Jesse Nippert collaborated on the
project with West Virginia University researchers. Kansas State
says in a news release the researchers spent four years studying
more than 100 years' worth of rings in Eastern red cedar trees in
the central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Researchers-Clean-Air-Act-is-helping-forests-4797819.php
Air alert: Smoke, ozone on the rise in San Joaquin Valley. Facing
the double whammy of ozone and smoke, local air quality leaders
have declared a second alert, running Monday through Wednesday,
for the eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley. The region is
sweltering with temperatures forecast above 100 degrees with only
light breezes -- conditions that lead to ozone formation. The
sprawling Rim fire in Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite
National Park is sending smoke and ozone-making gases into the
Valley. Posted.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/09/3487743/air-alert-smoke-ozone-on-the-rise.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x740582144/Local-officials-call-second-Air-Alert
AIR POLLUTION: Winning the battle involves government,
technology, lifestyle. Much has been done to improve air quality
in recent decades, but more work is needed to reduce levels of
the Inland’s worst pollutants — nitrogen oxides, ozone and
particulate matter — that threaten residents’ health, regulators
said. Federal, state and regional air quality officials have
imposed rules to reduce emissions from cars…Posted.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20130906-air-pollution-winning-the-battle-involves-government-technology-lifestyle.ece
AIR QUALITY: Warehouse plan closely watched. Moreno Valley, a
city embroiled in scandals that last month saw one City Council
member resign after his arrest on fraud charges, also is a
testing ground in the struggle to balance the need for jobs and
the imperative for clean air. City staff members are processing
plans by a local developer to build a warehousing hub covering
the equivalent of 700 football fields. Posted.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-environment-headlines/20130907-air-pollution-moreno-valley-warehouse-decision-closely-watched.ece
Road side air pollution ups risk of death in bronchiectasis
patients. A new study has revealed that living close to a busy
road is associated with a higher risk of death in people with
bronchiectasis. The research has added to the growing body of
evidence demonstrating the damaging effects of road-side
pollution. The study investigated the association between the
residential distance to a main road…Posted.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/road-side-air-pollution-ups-risk-of-death-in-bronchiectasis-patients-113090800113_1.html
‘Unhealthy’ air quality alert issued for Calexico. The Imperial
Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an “unhealthy” air
quality alert for Calexico on Saturday. People with respiratory
or heart disease, the elderly and children are considered most at
risk, particularly when active, and should avoid prolonged or
heavy exertion. The general population may also experience
increased respiratory effects and should reduce prolonged or
heavy exertion. Posted.
http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/unhealthy-air-quality-alert-issued-for-calexico/article_9c9aea72-185f-11e3-a1b9-0019bb30f31a.html
Calgon Carbon awarded $25M-$30M Canadian contract. Calgon Carbon
Corp. and distributor Brenntag Canada Inc. have won a contract
valued between $25 million and $30 million to supply activated
carbon to a large Canadian electricity generator. Calgon Carbon
(NYSE: CCC) will supply its second-generation Fluepac powdered
activated carbon to remove mercury from the flue gas of two
coal-fired electric generating plants. The contract, which will
be in place through December 2015, is an extension of an existing
agreement for the company's first-generation product. Posted.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2013/09/09/calgon-carbon-awarded-25-30m.html
Researchers find link between ozone, heart disease. UC Berkeley
researchers have discovered a link between the regional
prevalence of the common air pollutant ozone and an increased
risk of premature death from heart disease, the No. 1 cause of
death in the United States. The team used a state-of-the-art
statistical model to aggregate mortality rates from different
regions in California from 1982 to 2000 and levels of ozone and
particulate matter gathered from government monitors situated
across California. Posted.
http://www.dailycal.org/2013/09/08/researchers-find-link-between-ozone-heart-disease/
Airline ozone emissions most significant over Pacific – study.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have
found that flights to and from Australia and New Zealand during
the month of October create the highest amount of tropospheric
ozone, a powerful global warming pollutant. The new findings come
at a time when the aviation industry, which has the
fastest-growing greenhouse gas emissions within the
transportation sector…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059986878/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
CLIMATE CHANGE
G20 countries agree to phase down potent greenhouse gas. Leaders
attending the Group of 20 summit of the world's biggest economies
in St. Petersburg, Russia, agreed on Friday to phase down the use
of certain potent greenhouse gases known to damage the climate.
The White House cited the agreement to cooperate on phasing down
the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), gases used in
refrigerators, air conditioners and some industrial equipment, as
one of the "most significant agreements" of the summit. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/06/us-g20-climate-idUSBRE9850WU20130906
Harper Offers Obama Climate Action for Keystone Approval.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered to participate
in joint efforts with the U.S. to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to
win approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, according to a person
familiar with the matter. Harper sent a letter to President
Barack Obama last month as part of an effort to mollify U.S.
concerns about the pipeline, said the person, who asked not to be
identified because he is not authorized to discuss it publicly.
Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-06/harper-offers-obama-climate-action-for-keystone-cbc-says.html
The power of future storms hard to predict. Big storms are fed by
energy from warm seas, and experts say that with warmer oceans
there's a lot more of that energy today at their disposal then
there used to be. The jury is still out on whether this will mean
a future of more frequent and more powerful storms, but experts
can agree that we're in for changes to what was once considered
the norm. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/The-power-of-future-storms-hard-to-predict-4793352.php
Here's How Much Your State Cares About Climate Change [MAP] How
much does your state care about climate change? The map below,
courtesy of AllianceBernstein, will give you an idea as it shows
renewable energy portfolio targets across the country. States
invest in renewables to decrease their carbon output and their
dependence on oil, coal, and natural gas. In the map, 29 states
plus Washington D.C. and two U.S. territories have renewable
portfolio standards. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Here-s-How-Much-Your-State-Cares-About-Climate-4793274.php
Nebraska lecture to look at climate change, health. A lecture
this month on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus will look
at the effect of global warming on human health. On Wednesday,
public health expert Wendy Ring will give an overview of the
impact climate change is having on individual and community
health. Her discussion will connect climate change to everything
from infectious diseases to mental health. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Nebraska-lecture-to-look-at-climate-change-health-4794711.php
Gov. Patrick heading to Canada for energy confab. Massachusetts
Gov. Deval Patrick is heading to Canada to discuss alternative
energy sources, including hydropower. Patrick leaves Sunday to
attend the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers'
Annual Conference in Quebec. Patrick said the conference is an
opportunity to strengthen regional partnerships to build on
Massachusetts' leadership in creating renewable energy…Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/07/5715288/gov-patrick-heading-to-canada.html#storylink=cpy
Scientists suggest ways to turn CO2 emissions into a fuel. Aiming
for two birds with one stone, scientists are developing ways to
convert carbon dioxide waste into fuel, effectively reversing the
combustion process. Turning greenhouse gases into raw materials
for carbon-based fuels would close the carbon loop and mitigate
humanity's impacts on the climate, all while generating economic
value. The United States alone releases 40 billion tons of carbon
dioxide annually and consumed 6.8 billion barrels of oil products
in 2012…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059986885/print BY
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Ocean warming changes chemical cycles in plankton – study. When
scientists who study phytoplankton, the tiny organisms that live
in the surface of the ocean and other water bodies, try to
explain their importance, they often say something like this:
"Every second breath you take comes from phytoplankton." That's
because there are enough of these minuscule plants floating
around, sucking in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen, to
significantly affect major chemical cycles on Earth. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059986874/print BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
DIESEL EMISSIONS
JURUPA VALLEY: Council OKs anti-idling program. The Jurupa
Valley City Council on Thursday, Sept. 5 unanimously approved a
program to enforce a state ban on trucks idling their engines for
longer than five minutes. The program will involve the city
accepting a $30,000 grant that will be used to train either a
code enforcement officer or deputy on how to enforce the
regulation passed by the California Air Resources Board. Posted.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20130906-jurupa-valley-council-okays-anti-idling-program.ece
Automated systems simplify regulatory compliance. The
International Maritime Organization (IMO), the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board
(CARB), to name a few, have introduced new regulations to
regulate air pollution. Steep fines and delays face maritime
operators that do not comply with engine emissions monitoring and
reporting. This is a challenge for shipping companies on several
levels. Posted.
http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/industry-news/automated-systems-simplify-regulatory-compliance
FUELS
Seismologist: Fracking doesn't cause earthquakes. Human activity
associated with oil and gas production can sometimes cause
earthquakes, but the problem is not hydraulic fracturing, a
seismologist from the University of Texas told researchers
gathered for a two-day conference on Marcellus shale-gas
drilling. When the rare quakes do occur, they're typically linked
to the disposal of drilling fluids in underground injection
wells, Cliff Frohlich said Monday at West Virginia University.
Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Seismologist-Fracking-doesn-t-cause-earthquakes-4798554.php
What happened to biofuels? Energy technology: Making large
amounts of fuel from organic matter has proved to be more
difficult and costly than expected. SCIENTISTS have long known
how to convert various kinds of organic material into liquid
fuel. Trees, shrubs, grasses, seeds, fungi, seaweed, algae and
animal fats have all been turned into biofuels to power cars,
ships and even planes. As well as being available to countries
without tar sands, shale fields or gushers…Posted.
http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21584452-energy-technology-making-large-amounts-fuel-organic-matter-has-proved-be
Oil lobbyists seek CEQA exemption ahead of Calif. frack bill
vote. Oil industry lobbyists sought to gain an exemption from the
leading California environmental law as they pushed back against
legislation mandating oversight of hydraulic fracturing, multiple
people familiar with the activities said. The Western States
Petroleum Association (WSPA) last week offered language that
would have given oil companies conducting fracking on wells a
release from requirements…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059986892/print BY
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VEHICLES
Hybrids, small SUVs, sense of relief at Frankfurt. The world's
automakers are showing off their shiniest, most advanced vehicles
at the Frankfurt Auto Show, which opens this week. Among the 70
world premieres are a notable number of new cars powered either
by batteries or hybrid gas-electric systems. There are also
outlandish concept cars that flaunt technology and design but
aren't intended for sale. Posted.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANKFURT_AUTO_SHOW?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
OTHER RELATED STORIES
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Hybrids-small-SUVs-sense-of-relief-at-Frankfurt-4797749.php
GREEN ENERGY
Sonoma County takes closer look at green energy projects. With
renewable energy development now a central issue in Sonoma
County, disputed rules that would govern the size and location of
green energy projects are returning to the Board of Supervisors
Tuesday for approval. The zoning changes, which focus largely on
solar systems, would open up more land in unincorporated areas to
commercial-scale projects, including agricultural, industrial and
business parcels. Posted.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130907/articles/130909617
Going green a growing home trend. It isn’t always easy being
green, but green is exactly what an increasing number of
homebuyers want in their dream homes. From strong preferences for
energy efficiency to an industry employing more green
construction practices, the focus on green homes is on the
upswing. With energy costs on the rise, more homeowners than ever
before are looking for homes built with energy efficiency in
mind. Posted.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/07/going-green-a-growing-home-trend/
Greening Calif. Schools a ‘Win-Win’ for Students, Districts. The
Met is a high school with a unique style and design: It has
recycled glass counters in front of the administration office,
ceilings made of recovered wood from old gym bleachers, and
landscaping that was designed to use less water. A model of
energy efficiency, The Met is where most schools in the state
would like to be, and thanks to a new funding stream many could
get that chance. Posted.
http://newamericamedia.org/2013/09/greening-calif-schools-a-win-win-for-students-districts.php
MISCELLANEOUS
San Joaquin Valley contest seeking art for air calendar. The San
Joaquin Valley Air District is seeking student artwork for the
2014 Healthy Air Living Kids' Calendar contest. Valley students
from kindergarten through high school can submit pieces
illustrating the ways valley residents can live healthy-air
lives, with an accompanying clean-air message. Guidelines for
creating a winning Healthy Air Living calendar entry. Posted.
http://www.modbee.com/2013/09/07/2908750/san-joaquin-valley-contest-seeking.html
Skolnick's Scoop / 5 easy steps to a green up your act at home.
"Eco-friendly." "Carbon footprint." "Global warming."
"Energy-efficient." These phrases have become part of our lexicon
as we've become more aware of our impact on the environment and
our role in protecting it. As a homeowner, there are some simple,
inexpensive steps you can take to make your home
energy-efficient. Get started on the road to being "green" with
these five tips: Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Skolnick-s-Scoop-5-easy-steps-to-a-green-up-4792895.php
OPINIONS
Editorial: Legislature should approve fracking regulation.
Californians own nearly 32 million vehicles. Yet more than half
the petroleum consumed in California comes from foreign lands,
primarily the Middle East. That must change, but in an
environmentally sound manner. Legislation by Sen. Fran Pavley,
D-Agoura Hills, and Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, would allow
the oil extraction technique known as fracking to continue, but
with strict regulations. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/08/5713660/editorial-legislature-should-approve.html#storylink=cpy
Yosemite fire lesson: Cut risk with biomass energy. The Rim Fire
is a sad reminder that wildfires are a growing threat to public
health, safety and the water and power supplies for large parts
of California. California can significantly reduce those risks by
investing in small, sustainable forest biomass facilities that
would use green waste to create renewable energy. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Yosemite-fire-lesson-Cut-risk-with-biomass-energy-4790807.php
Teaching Climate Change To Skeptics. A few years ago, Joseph B.
Lassiter traveled to San Francisco, Houston, and New York to hold
discussions with Harvard alumni on the topic of business and the
environment. Each time, he surveyed the audience about the touchy
subject of climate change and how society should react to it. And
while his presentations had been essentially identical and the
audiences at first blush quite similar, the attitudes he
encountered were disparate. Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2013/09/09/teaching-climate-change-to-skeptics/
BLOGS
As It Increases Production, Tesla Worries About Battery Supply.
Tesla Motors’ recent growth has been striking, but at the Teslive
event in northern California last July, Elon Musk, the company’s
chief executive, made it plain that further expansion might be
hindered by problems in the supply chain. “Our issues right now
are actually not so much demand generation as they are production
related,” he said. “In order for production to grow, we have to
have the whole supply chain move in cadence.” Posted.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/as-it-increases-production-tesla-worries-about-battery-supply/?src=recg&_r=0